Wenger hasn't lost his touch, insists Clichy

The Gunners manager came under fire for the way in which he is running the club following the defeat to Aston Villa, but his former charge believes he will prove everybody wrongManchester City defender Gael Clichy has dismissed the suggestion that Arsenal manager Arsene Wengerhas lost his touch.

The Gunners have struggled to attract new players over the summer and were beaten 3-1 by Aston Villa on the opening day of the season, leading to a section of the club's supporters, and many in the media, to question the coach's frugal approach in the transfer market.

However, Clichy, who was part of the last Arsenal team to win a trophy (the FA Cup in 2005), believes it is ridiculous to portray Wenger as a manager who is out of touch with the modern game.

"I totally disagree with that," he told Goal. "He's been the same for the last few years. Football is like this.

"When things aren’t going the way that the public opinion wants, then people start to talk. You can’t say that someone who knows so much about English football has lost his touch.

"I can’t say much about Arsenal, because I don’t play there any more. All I can say is that Wenger knows what he’s doing. He’s going to show everyone. It was the same last year and the year before.

"When Thierry Henry left, everyone was a bit worried and life went on. He’s a great manager and he always finds a solution. I’m not worried."

The 28-year-old did admit, however, that he cannot understand why his former club have so far proved unable to bring in reinforcements.

"I’m a bit surprised," he added. "Arsenal are a great club and I can’t see why [they are struggling to sign players].

"I remember when they came in for me, I was a young player and I was really excited to play for a team like this.

"Arsenal are one of the greatest clubs of the world. So I am surprised that no one has come to the club.

"I’m not worried, though, because Arsene Wenger is a great manager and he’s shown over the past 10-15 years that he can perform with what he has and young, talented players.

"They are probably the only club that’s been in the Champions League for the past 10-15 years. Every year, they reach the quarter-finals."

Manchester City appointed Manuel Pellegrini as Roberto Mancini's successor earlier this summer, and Clichy believes the Chilean will continue the recent tradition of attractive football at the Etihad Stadium.

"I’ve been lucky my whole career," he continued. "With Arsene Wenger, he wanted us to play attractive football.

"Roberto Mancini, even though it was sometimes difficult, we won the title and had a good team with a good style of football, scoring goals. Pelligrini is the same style of manager.

"He likes to play attractive, offensive football. He likes to play a high line to put pressure on the opponent.

"It’s never easy but hopefully we can keep doing that and with the players we have, we can have a good season."

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho recently claimed that the Premier League titles won by the Blues' two Manchester rivals since he left the club in 2007 have been ordinary, but Clichy does not subscribe to that school of thought.

"A champion is a champion," the defender declared. "A great champion, a fantastic champion or a bad one, doesn’t change anything. You’re still a champion.

"What we know is that we worked hard and that’s it. Hopefully the team will win at the end of the season. It all comes down to opinion.

"All I can say is that we worked hard that whole year, scoring a lot of goals and we [conceded] the fewest goals in the season so whatever.